A modern measurement apparatus has the potential for making measurements which are accurate to and displayed in very small increments, perhaps tens of millionths of an inch. Such measurement are very susceptible to very small changes in the measured dimensions (e.g., from small movement of the measuring instrument with respect to the part or internal variation in the instrument). Such very small changes in the measured dimension could affect the displayed measurement which is displayed on one or more of a plurality of discrete indicators. The display might appear to flicker or fluctuate between two or more indicators, presenting a dither, or vacillating display. An operator has difficulty in determining the proper measurement from such a vacillating display.
Several prior art systems have attempted to inhibit the undesirable fluctuations in the display. One example in the prior art uses an averaging technique, where several measurements taken at successive times are combined to produce a more stable display. Another prior art technique slows down the sampling rate and consequently the rate at which the display is updated.
Examples of such prior art systems to suppress flutter in a column display are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,735,387; 3,769,583; and 3,638,001.
The prior art columns and the control circuitry have undesirable limitations. Further, the circuits are difficult to design and rather costly to make, adding undesirably to the expense of the column.
The foregoing and other limitations and disadvantages of the prior art column gages and the associated control circuitry will be apparent to one skilled in the art in view of the following description of the present invention and the appended drawings.